Stories have always meant a lot to me. Good stories make the truth easier to see. We have used this story, just one of Jesus’ many stories, in the Bible studies for the last two weeks. One of the questions we use to start discussion is, “How might the son have felt? What about the father?” The son might have felt afraid his father would be too angry with him to accept him back, because of what he had done. He came humbly, knowing he did not deserve to be called his father’s son. He knew he needed forgiveness. But what does the father feel towards his lost son? Love is the answer—seeing his son coming home from a long way off, the father RUNS to his son and embraces and kisses him. One lady in one of the Bible studies pointed out that the father recognizes his son, even from far away, just as our Father knows us. And then the father celebrates, not to honor what his son had done, but because of his joy that his son was lost and is found, and was dead and is alive.
Pray that God’s word keeps speaking to his people here. A couple of the groups that are ready have been practicing leading themselves. In some of the groups, new people have come to listen. Some of them just listen from outside and they don’t stay the whole time, but they are still hearing. God can work through even the smallest seeds that are planted, and so he reminds me to rely on him by praying for the people who hear. It’s not through my efforts that people will know the truth. That is his work alone. “For God, who said, ‘let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 It is also God who will burden the believers’ hearts to share with others!
Schools let out for summer in the barangays this week. On Tuesday, I walked down to the square to watch the school awards ceremony. Everyone was watching from outside the square, in the shade of the trees. At the end of the ceremony, the kids performed dances. It was a different experience watching the kids in the nicest clothes dancing Gangnam style! The family that we stay with in that barangay celebrated their daughter’s 6th grade graduation with crabs and “bakinto”—a delicacy of sticky rice and coconut, cooked in leaves.
Sometimes here, people become very concerned about me when they see me standing in the sun, like I was at the awards ceremony. “Your skin will get dark!” they say. I was wearing sunscreen, because actually, the sun will burn my skin, not darken it! “Come in the shade!” they said. But if I moved into the shade, I wouldn’t be able to see, because of the crowd of people. So I stayed in the sun. Then, a lady brought me an umbrella. Another time, I was on a boat, and a man got on the boat just to tell me to put my umbrella up.
On Friday, we swam in the river with the kids. It was hot, and the water felt so wonderful. The kids paddled me about in their little canoe, and we all took turns jumping off.
In the barangays, we have been teaching the children praise songs and Bible stories, and they love it. I know one full children’s praise song in Waray—I need to learn more! This week, we taught the story of David and Goliath, and last week, we taught them the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000.
“Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2
“…the battle is the LORD’s.” 1 Samuel 17:47
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